Washington Redskins 2015 NFL Draft: The Good, the Bad and the Baffling
The full impact of the Washington Redskins' 2015 NFL draft class won't be felt until years from now.
Still, while the performance of the prospects selected can't yet be graded, the front office tasked with building the team's roster can.
In D.C., the man under the microscope is new general manager Scot McCloughan. With an abundance of needs to fill, and a glaring lack of talent, how did he fare in his first draft?
Let's find out. Here are the good, the bad and the baffling decisions of Washington's 2015 draft.
All draft picks are courtesy of NFL.com.
List of 2015 Draft Selections
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Here before you is McCloughan's first Washington draft class:
- OT Brandon Scherff, Iowa (1st, 5th overall)
- DE/LB Preston Smith, Mississippi State (2nd, 38th overall)
- RB Matt Jones, Florida (3rd, 95th overall)
- WR Jamison Crowder, Duke (4th, 105th overall)
- OG Arie Kouandjio, Alabama (4th, 112th overall)
- LB Martrell Spaight, Arkansas (5th, 141st overall)
- S Kyshoen Jarrett, Virginia Tech (6th, 181st overall)
- CB Tevin Mitchel, Arkansas (6th, 182nd overall)
- WR Evan Spencer, Ohio State (6th, 187th overall)
- C Austin Reiter, South Florida (7th, 222nd overall)
The Good: Drafting Preston Smith
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Pass-rusher was a need for the Skins. In consecutive seasons, they've only managed 36 sacks. And while he wasn't always on the field, this production came with Brian Orakpo still in a Washington uniform.
He's with the Tennessee Titans now, though. Enter Preston Smith.
Last year's second-round pick Trent Murphy may be the favorite to replace Orakpo, but you can trust Smith will find his way into the lineup, particularly on passing downs. In Joe Barry's 3-4 scheme, he could earn playing time at both defensive end and outside linebacker.
A 4-3 defensive end at Mississippi State, Smith was one of the most productive pass-rushers in the nation his senior season:
"Washington Redskins add Preston Smith, who had the 12th highest Pass Rushing Productivity Rating among 4-3 DEs pic.twitter.com/iesmTKChpf
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) May 1, 2015"
He posted 9 sacks and 15 tackles for loss in 2014.
Really Good: Acquiring Extra Picks
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It wasn't the first trade they should've made—more on that later—but the Redskins did well to turn the 69th overall pick into three extra draft picks:
"JUST IN | #Redskins send their 69th pick to Seattle for 95th, 112th, 167th & 181st picks. http://t.co/QPRcm3AkPg
— Washington Redskins (@Redskins) May 2, 2015"
After drafting Jones toward the back end of the third round, Washington nabbed guard Arie Kouandjio and safety Kyshoen Jarrett.
The team went on to deal the 167th overall pick for what became receiver Evan Spencer and a 2016 sixth-round pick:
"TRADE ALERT: #Redskins send the 167th pick to the New Orleans Saints for their 187th & a sixth-round pick in 2016.
— Washington Redskins (@Redskins) May 2, 2015"
Pass protection was an issue for the Skins in 2014, and as Pro Football Focus' Nathan Jahnke notes, Kouandjio, the brother of 2014 second-round pick Cyrus Kouandjio, excelled in this department at Alabama:
"New Washington OG Arie Kouandjio allowed 0 sacks, 3 hits and 3 hurries last year. Had the 3rd best Pass Blocking Efficiency for OGs
— Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) May 2, 2015"
Kouandjio carries some risk—he underwent multiple knee surgeries in college—but with the extra picks, it's one Washington can take.
As for Jarrett, he brings a foreign component to the team's secondary: the ability to tackle. He culminated his third year as a starting safety at Virginia Tech with 89 tackles.
Remember, Ryan Clark led the NFL in missed tackles in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus. Oh, and newly acquired Dashon Goldson? He wasn't far behind Clark. His 20 missed tackles were just two shy of Clark's mark.
Lastly, there's Spencer. At 6'2", he gives the team some much-needed size.
His production at Ohio State won't jump out at you (59 career receptions). But at the very least, he'll be an asset on special teams, with the hope he can parlay his athletic gifts into a meaningful role in the passing game.
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The Bad: Reaching for RB Matt Jones
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Looking to replace Roy Helu, Washington selected Matt Jones with the 95th overall pick. A back with excellent size—at 6'2"and 232 pounds—Jones' physical, downhill running style makes him an ideal fit for Bill Callahan's power-running scheme.
If only injuries weren't a concern. If only he could complement lead back Alfred Morris as a receiver coming out of the backfield. If only!
Jones has already undergone two knee surgeries. Furthermore, he posted all of 19 receptions during his time at Florida.
Where does he fit in?
Outside of short-yardage situations where his size is an asset, Jones provides nothing more than insurance against an injury to Morris.
Graded out as a fifth-round pick and compared to BenJarvus Green-Ellis by NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, Jones was an egregious reach on Washington's part.
The Baffling: Brandon Scherff over Leonard Williams
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What happened to drafting the best player available?
Is value in the draft no longer important?
In the aftermath of Washington drafting offensive lineman Brandon Scherff over Leonard Williams, these are questions that have to be running through the heads of Redskins fans.
Was the team's offensive line a weak spot? Most definitely. It led the NFC with 58 sacks allowed in 2014, and the team did next to nothing this offseason to bolster this unit.
So there's a glaring need. So what? Needs and strengths can fluctuate at the drop of the hat. Look no further than to McCloughan's former employer, the San Francisco 49ers. Once a strength, the linebacking corps of the team is now in disarray.
Point being here, at Washington's spot in the draft, you get the most value out of your pick and you draft the best player. With that said, Scherff's selection doesn't follow this decree.
For starters, what's his NFL position? Is it guard or tackle?
ESPN's John Keim, for one, is in the camp that sees Scherff's future at guard:
"I really like Scherff as a guard; was not wowed by his play at LT but he'll obviously play on the right side. #WASpick
— John Keim (@john_keim) May 1, 2015"
As a guard, his selection doesn't deliver on value.
Only two guards have gone in the top 10 since 2000. And for good reason: You can find them later in the draft. Similar to the running back position, on an annual basis starting-caliber guards can be found in the later rounds.
Even star ones. Of the 10 guards to garner votes for All-Pro honors in 2014, six were selected outside the first round.
Say he's a tackle, though. He still isn't the best player available. By a large margin, Williams was.
To many, Williams was the draft's top overall prospect. ESPN's Todd McShay graded Williams out as one of the two elite players in the entire draft.
As for Scherff, in the opinion of McShay, his talent warrants him going in the middle of the first round of an average draft.
Every team is looking to nab a starter with its first-round pick, but very few have the opportunity to bring a true blue-chip prospect into the fold. And by taking Scherff, it's an opportunity McCloughan willingly missed out on.
Really Baffling: Keeping Fifth Overall Pick
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Let's move past the fact Washington passed on Williams. Entering the draft, the defensive line was actually a strength of the team as is.
Still, after McCloughan highlighted the team's need for additional picks in the lead-up to the draft, it's truly baffling that the team didn't deal the No. 5 pick.
This was a sentiment ESPN's John Keim agreed with:
"I thought if the Redskins drafted Scherff, it would have come after a trade back. Would have felt better about it in that case.
— John Keim (@john_keim) May 1, 2015"
There was no guarantee Scherff would be available if the team dealt the No. 5 pick, but according to NFL.com's Albert Breer, Ereck Flowers was a safety net the team was high on:
"Redskins like both Brandon Scherff and Ereck Flowers, but Leonard Williams' availability certainly changes the landscape.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) May 1, 2015"
It's a given that there has to be a partner willing to trade with the Redskins for one to take place. But with who was left on the board—Williams—it's hard to imagine other teams not expressing some level of interest.
By deciding not to shop the pick, Washington essentially doubled down on its first mistake of not drafting Williams to begin with.
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